I am the founder and lead cultural intelligence analyst and public speaker for Panoramix Global, a research consultancy that helps enterprises understand the complexities and consequences of consumer behavior as a pathway to their own brands' growth and innovation. With more than 20 years of experience as a leader in consumer analysis, I've come to believe that the future of consumer understanding is complex, interconnected, global and dynamic. And my work reflects those beliefs. In 1992, I co-founded the international consumer trend agency Iconoculture, recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in America. Iconoculture provided the research industry's first theoretical framework for translating trends into practical insights using a highly qualitative, proprietary methodology. In 2010, I founded Panoramix Global, a next-generation research and consumer behavior firm that specializes in providing clients with an analytic perspective on consumers that maximizes cultural data to deliver foresights to innovation- and growth-minded marketers.

Sugar: A Love/Hate Relationship. Why We Can't Ever Give Up The Sweet Stuff

Sugar is toxic. It’s poison. It’s bad. It’s “a drug.” Knock around the web for awhile and it becomes clear: There’s a buzz when it comes to sugar.

Pitchers of grape or punch-flavored drink mix, bright red and orange popsicles, frosting-coated cookies — they all add to fond childhood memories from what we think of as a simpler time. As Americans of recent generations grew up, we became accustomed to the convenience of packaged treats, eating them, and even serving them up to our kids. But then the world started changing. Environmental awareness went mainstream, rising obesity rate went global, and small-batch flavor became popular, generating an awareness of food products’ ingredients we never even thought about needing to think about.

Now, looking back, it almost seems like we’ve been lulled into an unhealthy habit that’s going to prove impossible to quit.

The War on Sugar

Dr. Robert Lustig is one of the world’s leading “anti-sugar guys,” and he’s leading the charge against sweetness. He’s gathered more and more believers as his 2009 video, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, has racked up nearly 5 million views. “Sugar is not just an empty calorie, he says; its effect on us is much more insidious. It’s not about the calories. It has nothing to do with the calories. It’s a poison by itself.” Lustig further claims that sugar is the root cause of the obesity and diabetes epidemics.

Michael Moss, author of Salt, Sugar, Fat, claims that food manufacturers lean on three pillars of processed food — salt, sugar, and fat — without which there would be no processed food. These three attributes make food taste good, but they also actually mask the natural bad flavors that develop in the manufacturing process. This suggests that with many processed foods we won’t even know what the real food tastes like without these additives.

“USDA recommends that the average person on a 2,000-calorie daily diet include no more than 40 grams of added sugars. That’s about 10 teaspoons, or the amount of sugar in a 12-ounce soft drink. Our average intake is about 32 teaspoons of added sugar per day.” Sugar—including sucrose, corn sweeteners, honey, maple syrup, and molasses—is ubiquitous and often hidden. “In a sense, sugar is the number one food additive.”

When a company with Coca-Cola sized clout launches an initiative to combat “its fat problem” though— namely the negative press and a big drop in sales — you know there’s a change coming.

We’re going to take a systematic look at the hot topic of the day: SUGAR. We’ll seek to understand its place in Americans’ diet and our culture, examining the sweet stuff from angles societal, economic, environmental and even political. Then we’ll take a look at the history of the white crystals, understanding exactly HOW sugar got so engrained in our culture.

Public perception and the market are changing but it’s never going away.

A quick take on what’s defining the future of sugar:

Society: Sugar is woven tightly into our modern consumer culture. Sugar means fun. It’s a cheap quick-hit indulgence that bonds families over birthdays and anniversaries, offers an energy boost over boring office afternoons and lends a sense of comfort when added to even the least sweet meals. Even in the most prosperous society, sugar-laden sweets and treats carry extra meaning: We care about you.

Environmentally: Sugar cane, sugar beets, and corn (for HFCS) all require water or are water intensive crops. Sugar cane and corn are also in demand as a source of biofuel. These crops impact regions with pollution, industrial waste, soil erosion, and habitat loss. The World Watch Institute quotes Michael Pollan, in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, who estimates that, in addition to the concerns above, between one-quarter and one-third gallons (about 1.0 to 1.25 liters) of oil are needed per bushel of corn to create the pesticides, fertilizers, and tractor gasoline, and to harvest, dry, and transport the corn. Getting sugar to the table isn’t easy. Are we wrecking the planet to satisfy our cravings?

Economically: The cost of excess sugar consumption to our citizenry is high. “Diabetes type II is now affecting close to 370 million people worldwide, with one in ten U.S. adults affected by it. The costs to the global healthcare system are a staggering $470 billion, according to the most recent estimates from the International Diabetes Federation, and represent over 10 percent of all healthcare costs. In the USA alone, the healthcare costs tied to diabetes type II are estimated at $140 billion, compared to $90 billion for tobacco-related healthcare costs. Even more worrisome is that these numbers are growing at a rate of 4 percent a year, much faster than for obesity (1 to 2 percent).”

Politically: Sugar is politically charged too. Public health policies are long-term challenges, and change happens very slowly. Think of the sea-change pace of seatbelts or anti-smoking efforts. What can be done? To begin to turn the tide, The Robert Wagner School at NYU suggests five initiatives: reduce sugar subsidies; impose taxes/restrict size; reform food labeling, regulate food marketing; and raise awareness.

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Sugary soda is remarkably problematic because, you can keep drinking it while your body isn’t recognizing your sugar intake—so your body remains hungry.Must stop drinking soda is that you get absolutely nothing else with it. While other sugary items—such as a slice of cake or donuts—are no shining examples of nutrition, they at least contain some nutrients that will help to alert your brain that you’re actually eating. Fructose-heavy soda won’t do this, so it’s best to just cut it out entirely. This is the hardest thing but the most important. Cutting it out will make it easier to stop eating too much sugar because you’ll be taking in far fewer calories that will go unnoticed by your brain.